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your lives the structions which have been given.” We listened for a few minutes while the sound of her rustling dress grew fainter and famter upon our cars as the woman passed away and left us within the 1dol. There was o faint light, which entered the chamber in which we were, coming apparently from the lump flickering before the huge image, and from its upward direction m two ravs we surmised that it passed through the cavities ntended to represent the nostrils of Nadhir !

“It will be dangerous work fighting with these niggers,” said Denviers. FFortunately we can both fence well; yet T know that the Hindus pour i their blows like the hail comes down. Hadn't we better try to get those diamonds? If we escape, which 1 almost doubt cven now, we shall be well repaad for risking the dangers of this adven- ture.”

“As you will;” T responded, and touching the strange door, to which we had agamn descended, 1t flew open. We o closed it quictly, and a moment afterwards stood facing the 1dol of Nadhir !

1IT.

“Reap the Guebre's mstructions, Frank,” I remarked, “and as you do so I will carcfully obscrve the hand of the 1dol and the sword-hilt which 1t grasps.”

The 1dol atsell represented, in the usual exaggerated size, the former conqueror of Delhic Sitting on a heap which was mtended to represent to the observer a pile of human heads, there was held i the left hand a writhing human form, while i the nght hand, which was raised aloft, was a sword made of gold, thickly jewelled, and which was about to fall on the unhappy vietim. While I was carcfully noting these things Denviers read as follows :

“Lle woho wwould oblale e dicimonds fron

the stword-ilt must climb to the right tnee of

the 1dol, and standing thercon force the himb backioards. 1 he hold wpon the hill wwill relax Jor a sccond and he treasiwre fall 1o the oround. DHeware that the thumb of the idol does not grip e hand of the daring one, for then the sword will jall and smite Jim. 1, do so declare.”’

Denviers mounted upon my shoulders, and in this way reached the knee of the idol. Standing as dirccted, he followed the state- ment carcfully, and to our astonishment—{for we had not placed much hope m o the information being exact or 1n its conscquence —the hand partially unclasped, the hilt flew

7HIE STRAND

MAGAZINT,.

open,and when it closed a yellow roll of muslin alrecady lTay at my fecet ! When Denviers had descended we proceeded to examine the treasure. Unrolling the outer wrapper we found cight small packages within it Ilach of these was carclully unfastened, and proved to be a history of the gem which 1t surrounded. The diamonds were finely cut, and sparkled cven i the dim hight of the temple,

We o disposed of the treasure by cach placing four drumonds i our mner pockets, and then, having made a survey of the temple, re-entered the hollow head of the adol.

The Brahmims were bhegmning their devotions when T awoke and found Denviers watching them through the cavities already mentioned 1 the dol's face. s the mony procecded the worshippers scemed to bhecome frenzied, and contorted therr bodies as they prostrated themscelves and vowed to destroy the polluters ol the temple. They suddenly rose from the ground and formed m a double Tine, headed by several Thndu cuards, who were evidently intended to drag us to the temple if we refused to submit to the fate n store for us without making a final cffort to free oursclves,

As the last Brahmin left the temple;, Den- viers cautiously openced the door of our hidimyg place and pecered out.

“Come on,” said he; “one bold cffort and we are free!” 1 followed him closely down the passage as indicated by the Dast, and when about half-way down we percerved the two guards. They were examining some- thing upon the wall; and we hoped to get near them without being observed.

“Get down on the ground, and erawl along alter me,”satd Denviers; “they are not looking this way. Your man is to be the shorter one of the two- leave the other to me” We moved along as stealthily as tigers s if only we could take them by surprise! Nearver yet- the object on the wall sull mterested them. We were only ten yards away. Then we lay almost flat, and forced oursclves along a few inches at a time. Nime yards cight

seven ! Denviers jumped to his feet; we were seen! Ina sceond the Hindus closed with us. There was a gong fastened to the wall, and one of them attempted to strike it but my companion interposed his body between it and the Thindu.

None of us spoke; the combat was too ficree for that. How well they fenced ! 1 feared that my knife was too short to ward off the Hindu's sword. Denviers was getting the better of the enemy with whom

cere-